CN114980983A

CN114980983A - Fire suppression system for battery case

Info

Publication number: CN114980983A
Application number: CN202080083652.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 德里克·M·桑达尔; 奥尔登·A·斯宾塞; 克里斯汀·M·瑞泽克
Original assignee: Tyco Fire Products LP
Current assignee: Tyco Fire Products LP
Priority date: 2019-12-05
Filing date: 2020-12-04
Publication date: 2022-08-30
Also published as: AU2020397698A1; WO2021111409A3; EP4069380A4; US20220401770A1; WO2021111409A2; EP4069380A2

Abstract

A modular fire suppression unit includes a housing, an exhaust gas detector, a fire suppression device, and a controller. The exhaust gas detector is disposed within the housing and is configured to obtain air samples and detect the presence of exhaust gas in each air sample. The fire suppression device is disposed within the enclosure and is configured to provide a fire suppressant to a space. The controller is disposed within the housing and configured to receive a signal from the exhaust gas detector indicating whether exhaust gas is detected in each of the air samples. The controller is also configured to activate the fire suppression device to provide the fire suppressant to the space in response to detecting exhaust air in one or more of the air samples. The modular fire suppression unit is configured to be coupled to a sidewall of a housing.

Description

Fire suppression system for battery case

Cross reference to related patent applications

This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/944,226, filed on 5.12.2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Background

Fire suppression systems are commonly used to protect areas and objects within the area from fire. The fire suppression system may be activated manually or automatically in response to an indication that a fire is present nearby (e.g., an ambient temperature increase beyond a predetermined threshold, etc.). Once activated, the fire suppression system spreads the fire suppressant throughout the area. The fire suppressant then suppresses or controls the fire (e.g., prevents the spread of the fire).

Disclosure of Invention

According to some embodiments, an embodiment of the present disclosure is a modular fire suppression unit. In some embodiments, a modular fire suppression unit includes a housing, an exhaust gas detector, a fire suppression device, and a controller. In some embodiments, an exhaust gas detector is disposed within the housing and is configured to obtain air samples and detect the presence of exhaust gas in each air sample. In some embodiments, a fire suppression device is disposed within the housing and configured to provide a fire suppressant to the space. In some embodiments, a controller is disposed within the housing and configured to receive a signal from the exhaust gas detector indicating whether exhaust gas is detected in each of the air samples. In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to activate the fire suppression device to provide a fire suppressant to the space in response to detecting exhaust gas in one or more of the air samples. In some embodiments, the modular fire suppression unit is configured to be coupled to a sidewall of the housing.

In some embodiments, the fire suppression equipment, the controller, and the exhaust gas detector are disposed within the housing.

In some embodiments, the modular fire suppression unit includes a plurality of exhaust gas detectors. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of exhaust gas detectors is configured to detect the presence of exhaust gas in a corresponding one of the one or more battery racks in the housing.

In some embodiments, the exhaust gas detector is configured to continuously draw an air sample from each of a plurality of battery racks disposed within the housing. In some embodiments, the exhaust gas detector is configured to be fluidly coupled to the plurality of battery racks via a piping system. In some embodiments, the duct system includes one or more tubular members that each fluidly couple the exhaust gas detector with a corresponding one of the plurality of battery racks. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to operate the one or more suction pumps to draw an air sample from each of the plurality of battery racks through the piping system to draw a first air sample from a first one of the plurality of battery racks at a first time and to draw a second air sample from a second one of the plurality of battery racks at a second time.

In some embodiments, the exhaust gas detector is configured to detect the presence or concentration of any of lithium ion battery exhaust gas, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, ash, soot, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur oxides, ammonia, chlorine, propane, ozone, ethanol, hydrocarbons, hydrogen cyanide, combustible gases, toxic gases, corrosive gases, oxidizing gases, or electrolyte vapors in the air sample.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: receiving a signal from an exhaust gas detector indicative of a concentration of exhaust gas in an air sample; comparing the concentration of the exhaust gas to a threshold value; and activating a fire suppression device in response to the concentration of exhaust gas in the air sample exceeding a threshold.

According to some embodiments, another embodiment of the present disclosure is a fire suppression system. In some embodiments, a fire suppression system includes a housing, one or more battery racks, and a modular fire suppression assembly. In some embodiments, the housing includes a sidewall and an interior volume defined within the sidewall. In some embodiments, one or more battery racks are disposed within the housing. In some embodiments, a modular fire suppression assembly includes an exhaust gas detector, fire suppression equipment, and a controller. In some embodiments, the exhaust gas detector is configured to obtain an air sample from each of the one or more cell holders and detect the presence of exhaust gas in each of the one or more cell holders. In some embodiments, the fire suppression device is configured to provide a fire suppressant to the interior volume of the housing. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: receiving a signal from an exhaust gas detector indicating whether exhaust gas is detected in each of the one or more battery racks; and activating the fire suppression device to provide a fire suppressant to the interior volume of the housing.

In some embodiments, the housing is either a transport container or a storage container and includes an exhaust port configured to selectively fluidly couple the interior volume of the housing with an external environment.

In some embodiments, the fire suppression system further comprises a plurality of exhaust gas detectors. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of exhaust gas detectors is configured to detect the presence of exhaust gas in a corresponding one of the one or more cell holders, and the exhaust gas detector is configured to continuously draw an air sample from each of the cell holders. In some embodiments, the fire suppression system includes a piping system having one or more tubular members each fluidly coupling the exhaust gas detector with a corresponding one of the one or more battery racks. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to operate the one or more suction pumps to draw a first air sample from a first one of the one or more battery racks at a first time and to draw a second air sample from a second one of the one or more battery racks at a second time.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to receive a signal from the exhaust gas detector indicative of a concentration of exhaust gas in one or more of the battery racks. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to compare the concentration of the exhaust gas to a threshold value and activate the fire suppression device in response to the concentration of the exhaust gas in the battery rack exceeding the threshold value.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to close the one or more battery racks in response to detecting exhaust in the one or more battery racks.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to alert emergency personnel in response to detecting exhaust in one or more of the battery racks.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to operate a visual warning device or an audible warning device in response to detecting exhaust in one or more of the battery racks.

In some embodiments, the fire suppression system further comprises an HVAC system. In some embodiments, the exhaust gas detectors are positioned in the airflow of the HVAC system to reduce the number of exhaust gas detectors.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system to open the external vent to circulate air into the housing to prevent accumulation of exhaust air from the one or more battery racks.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system to reduce the pressure within the housing upon activation of the fire suppression device.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure is a fire suppression system including a housing, one or more battery racks disposed within the housing, and a modular fire suppression assembly. In some embodiments, the housing includes a sidewall and an interior volume defined within the sidewall. In some embodiments, a modular fire suppression assembly includes a sidewall and an interior volume. In some embodiments, a modular fire suppression assembly is coupled with a sidewall of the housing and includes an exhaust gas detector, fire suppression equipment, and a controller. In some embodiments, the exhaust gas detector is configured to obtain an air sample from each of the one or more cell holders and detect the presence of exhaust gas in each of the one or more cell holders. In some embodiments, the fire suppression apparatus is configured to provide a fire suppressant to the interior volume of the housing and the interior volume of the modular fire suppression assembly. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: receiving a signal from an exhaust gas detector indicating whether exhaust gas is detected in each of the one or more battery racks; and activating the fire suppression device to provide a fire suppressant to the interior volume of the housing.

In some embodiments, the exhaust gas detector is configured to detect the presence of exhaust gas in any of the one or more battery racks within five seconds of the presence of exhaust gas.

In some embodiments, the fire suppression system further includes an ambient exhaust gas detector configured to monitor the presence or concentration of exhaust gas outside of the one or more battery racks. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to receive a signal from the ambient exhaust gas detector and determine a difference between an ambient concentration of exhaust gas outside of the one or more cell racks and a concentration of exhaust gas within the one or more cell racks.

This summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the devices or processes described herein will become apparent in the detailed description set forth herein when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements.

Drawings

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, in which:

fig. 1 is a block diagram of a fire suppression system that may be used with a battery rack according to some embodiments.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a fire suppression system that may be used with multiple battery racks according to some embodiments.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a fire suppression system that may be used with a battery rack according to some embodiments.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a container or housing equipped with a fire suppression system according to some embodiments.

Fig. 5 is another perspective view of the container or housing and suppression system of fig. 4, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a controller that may be used with the fire suppression systems of fig. 1-3 or the battery fire suppression systems of fig. 4-5, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 7 is a flow diagram of a process for suppressing a fire according to some embodiments.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a fire suppression system according to some embodiments.

Detailed Description

Before turning to the drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.

SUMMARY

Referring generally to the drawings, a fire suppression system is shown according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the fire suppression system may be used with a battery and/or a battery rack. The battery may be stored within a container (e.g., shipping container, storage container, housing, etc.). The fire suppression system may be provided as a modular fire suppression assembly that may be coupled with the container such that an interior volume of the modular fire suppression assembly is fluidly coupled with an interior volume of the container. The modular fire suppression system may include an exhaust gas detector configured to monitor and detect the presence of exhaust gas in the container (e.g., vented by the battery when the battery begins to fail). In some embodiments, one or more exhaust gas detectors are disposed at and associated with each cell. In other embodiments, a single exhaust gas detector is disposed within the interior volume of the modular fire suppression assembly or within the interior volume of the container. The fire suppression system may include various ducts and suction pumps configured to draw an air sample from each battery (if a single exhaust gas detector is used that is not locally disposed at the battery). The modular fire suppression assembly may include a controller that receives a signal generated by an exhaust gas detector to indicate the concentration and/or presence of exhaust gas in the container.

A controller (e.g., a fire panel) may operate the suction pump to regulate the pressure through the various conduits to draw air samples from each battery. The controller may use an off-gas detector to identify the concentration or content of off-gas in the vessel. If the concentration or content of the exhaust gas in the vessel exceeds a threshold (e.g., a predetermined threshold), this may indicate that a fire is likely to occur in the near future. The controller may activate the fire suppression apparatus to provide a fire suppressant to the interior volume of the container and/or the interior volume of the modular fire suppression assembly to prevent a fire from occurring (e.g., prevent or suppress combustion). Advantageously, the fire suppression system may preemptively detect and respond to conditions at the battery to prevent a fire from occurring. Advantageously, the fire suppression system may provide single cell failure detection before thermal runaway occurs. When thermal runaway occurs at a single cell, heat propagation may occur, thereby causing a domino effect into an adjacent cell and an increase in temperature in the adjacent cell. The exhaust detection may occur within five seconds of the generation of exhaust at the battery cell. The systems and methods for exhaust detection described herein may be used in addition to or in place of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) technology. The systems and methods described herein may be applied to wind farms and their corresponding commercial equipment, solar farms and their commercial equipment, data centers or battery rooms, battery manufacturing applications, and the like.

Battery monitoring and fire suppression system

With particular reference to fig. 1-3, various embodiments of a fire suppression system 10 are shown. In some embodiments, the fire suppression system 10 is configured to monitor smoke and/or gas emitted by one or more batteries, lithium ion batteries, battery racks, lithium ion battery racks, etc. within the housing to monitor the batteries. The fire suppression system 10 may monitor the housing and/or the battery to determine if a fire is likely to occur in the near future. In some embodiments, the fire suppression system 10 is configured to activate various fire suppression devices (e.g., inert gas systems) to suppress and prevent a fire from occurring within the enclosure (e.g., at or near the battery). Advantageously, the fire suppression system 10 may prevent thermal runaway at the battery and prevent combustion of the lithium ion battery.

Preventing thermal runaway of lithium ion batteries is advantageous because after a lithium ion battery burns, it may be difficult to extinguish. Thus, monitoring the gas discharged by the lithium ion battery and activating the fire suppression system may prevent or suppress the onset and spread of a fire.

Referring specifically to fig. 1, a fire suppression system 10 includes a fire panel, shown as fire panel 12, a master controller, etc., and batteries, battery packs, battery racks, lithium ion batteries, an Energy Storage System (ESS), etc., shown as battery racks 16. According to some embodiments, the fire suppression system 10 also includes an exhaust gas detector, sensor, etc., shown as an air sampling detector 24 a. In some embodiments, fire suppression system 10 includes an air sampling detector 24a and an air sampling detector 24 b. In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a is configured to monitor or sense the presence of exhaust gas emitted by battery cells (e.g., lithium ion battery cells of battery rack 16). In some embodiments, air sample detector 24b is functionally identical to air sample detector 24a, such that any of the functionalities of air sample detector 24a may be the functionalities of air sample detector 24 b. In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24b is configured to perform or facilitate exhaust gas detection of ambient air (e.g., at a location some distance from battery rack 16) to provide a reference or baseline exhaust gas concentration for fire panel 12. In some embodiments, air sample detector 24b is integrated with air sample detector 24a in the same housing or in the same unit. In some embodiments, the battery cells of the battery rack 16 are a source of exhaust gas. In some embodiments, the air sampling detector 24a is a gas analyzer, gas sensor, or the like, configured to detect the presence of exhaust gas emitted by the battery cells 19 of the battery rack 16. Air sampling detector 24a may be configured to extract a sample of air/gas from within battery rack 16, and the sample may be analyzed to detect the presence or concentration of exhaust gas in the sample. In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a is configured to detect the presence or concentration of any of lithium ion battery exhaust, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, ash, soot, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur oxides, ammonia, chlorine, propane, ozone, ethanol, hydrocarbons, hydrogen cyanide, combustible gases, toxic gases, corrosive gases, oxidizing gases, electrolyte vapors, and the like.

In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a is configured to monitor and identify the presence of exhaust air vented by the battery cells of battery rack 16. In other embodiments, air sampling detector 24a is configured to measure the concentration of exhaust gases emitted by the battery cells of battery rack 16. For example, the air sampling detector 24a may measure exhaust gases in parts per million. In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a is configured to independently measure the concentration and/or presence of each of the various exhaust gases described in more detail above. For example, air sampling detector 24a may independently measure the concentration of each of lithium ion battery exhaust, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and the like. In some embodiments, the air sampling detector 24a is mounted (e.g., fixedly coupled, fastened, etc.) to the battery stand 16. In some embodiments, at least one air sampling detector 24a is disposed at each cell bay 16 and is configured to detect exhaust gases in the cell bay 16. In some embodiments, if air sampling detector 24a is disposed at battery stand 16 (e.g., fixedly coupled with, mounted to, disposed within, etc.) air sampling detector 24a may rely on internal airflow in battery stand 16. The battery rack 16 may include a cooling fan configured to drive airflow over the battery cells of the battery rack 16 to force convective heat transfer (e.g., to cool the battery cells in the battery rack 16).

Air sampling detector 24a may provide the identified presence of exhaust gas and/or concentration of exhaust gas to control panel 12. In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a provides an exhaust gas sensor signal to fire panel 12. In some embodiments, fire panel 12 uses the exhaust sensor signals to determine whether or not a fire suppression device 20 should be activated. In some embodiments, fire suppression apparatus 20 includes a canister, container, capsule, cartridge, pressure vessel, or the like configured to store and release fire suppressant. In some embodiments, fire suppression apparatus 20 includes any piping, tubing, conduits, tubular members, release devices, nozzles, injectors, outlets, etc., configured to fluidly couple with the tank and convey or provide fire suppressant to battery rack 16 and/or a housing in which battery rack 16 is disposed. In some embodiments, fire suppression apparatus 20 includes a cartridge, a relief pressure vessel, a container, a canister, or the like configured to fluidly couple with a tank storing fire suppressant. In some embodiments, the cartridge contains pressurized exhaust gas configured to pressurize the fire suppressant and drive the fire suppressant into the battery rack 16 or toward the battery rack 16. In some embodiments, the fire suppressant is an inert gas, a desirable gas, or the like, configured to flood and substantially fill the battery rack 16. In some embodiments, the fire suppressant is a foam fire suppressant that may be sprayed onto the battery cells of the battery rack 16. In some embodiments, the interior volume of the battery rack 16 is filled with a fire suppressant. In some embodiments, the entire volume of the housing in which the battery rack 16 is disposed is filled with a fire suppressant.

Fire panel 12 may receive the exhaust sensor signal from air sampling detector 24a and provide a fire suppression activation signal to the activator of fire suppression device 20. In some embodiments, fire panel 12 activates fire suppression apparatus 20 by puncturing a rupture disc or otherwise fluidly coupling a canister containing vented gases with an interior volume of a vessel containing a fire suppressant. In some embodiments, fire panel 12 includes processing circuitry, a processor, and/or memory configured to perform one or more processes as described herein. For example, fire panel 12 may receive an exhaust gas sensor signal from air sampling detector 24a, compare the concentration of exhaust gas in battery rack 16 to a corresponding threshold, and perform one or more operations in response to one or more of the concentrations of exhaust gas exceeding the corresponding threshold.

Still referring to fig. 1, the fire suppression system 10 may include a battery management system 18. In some embodiments, the battery management system 18 is configured to operate the battery cells of the battery rack 16. For example, the battery management system 18 may be configured to activate or deactivate the battery cells of the battery rack 16 so that a user may draw power from the battery cells of the battery rack 16 (e.g., at the load connection 28). In some embodiments, battery management system 18 is configured to shut down power from the battery cells of battery rack 16 in response to receiving a control signal from fire panel 12. For example, battery management system 18 may receive a command from fire panel 12 to shut down battery rack 16 in response to exhaust gases in battery rack 16 exceeding a corresponding threshold. Fire panel 12 may generate a battery control signal based on the exhaust sensor signal and provide the battery control signal to battery management system 18. In some embodiments, battery management system 18 receives battery control signals from fire panel 12 and uses the battery control signals to control or shut down battery rack 16. The battery control signals generated by fire panel 12 and the operations performed by battery management system 18 may include changing the position of switches, adjusting the output voltage of battery rack 16, adjusting its output current, and so forth.

In some embodiments, the fire suppression system 10 also includes a smoke detector 22. In some embodiments, smoke detector 22 is a sensor configured to measure smoke, ash, particulate matter, smoke, airborne particles, and the like. The smoke detector 22 may draw an air sample from the battery stand 16 and detect the presence or concentration of particulate (e.g., airborne particulate) matter in the air sample. In some embodiments, the smoke detector 22 provides a smoke detection signal to the fire panel 12. In some embodiments, fire panel 12 may use a smoke detection signal to activate fire suppression device 20. In some embodiments, fire panel 12 uses smoke detection to generate and provide battery control signals to battery management system 18. The smoke detector 22 may be disposed at or near the battery stand 16, within a housing containing the battery stand 16, or the like.

Still referring to fig. 1, the fire panel 12 may provide warning and/or alarm communications/signals to a Building Management System (BMS)14 and/or emergency personnel 26. In some embodiments, the warning/alarm signal is generated by fire panel 12 based on one or more of an exhaust gas sensor signal received from air sampling detector 24a (e.g., based on the presence of exhaust gas in cell holders 16, based on the concentration of exhaust gas in cell holders 16, etc.), a smoke detection signal received from smoke detector 22 (e.g., based on the presence of airborne particulate matter, based on the concentration of airborne particulate matter, etc.), and the like. In some embodiments, the fire suppression system 10 also includes one or more temperature sensors 36 configured to sense a temperature within the battery rack 16 or at the battery rack 16. In some embodiments, the temperature sensor 36 is configured to measure or sense the temperature in the container in which the battery rack 16 is disposed. In some embodiments, the temperature sensor 36 is any of an optical temperature sensor, a thermocouple, a thermally responsive member, a negative temperature coefficient thermistor, a resistance temperature detector, a semiconductor-based temperature sensor, and the like. In some embodiments, temperature sensors 36 provide a measured/sensed temperature of battery rack 16, a temperature within battery rack 16, a temperature at any or all of the battery cells of battery rack 16, a temperature within the container in which battery rack 16 is stored, etc., and provide the temperature to fire panel 12. The fire panel 12 may use the measured temperature to generate a warning/alarm signal, a battery control signal, and/or a fire suppression release signal.

The fire panel 12 may also notify the emergency personnel 26 in response to detecting that a fire has occurred at the battery rack 16 or in response to determining that a fire is likely to occur at the battery rack 16 in the near future. For example, the fire panel 12 may use any of the exhaust gas sensor signals, smoke detection signals, and/or temperatures at the battery racks 16 to preemptively detect a fire at the battery racks 16 (e.g., detect that a fire is likely to occur in the near future before the fire occurs), and preemptively respond to prevent the fire. In some embodiments, the fire panel 12 preemptively detects a fire at the battery rack 16 and responds by preventing thermal runaway at the battery rack 16, thereby preventing the fire from occurring at the battery rack 16.

In some embodiments, the fire panel 12 provides the alert to emergency personnel 26 (e.g., customers, technicians, fire departments, building managers, transportation managers, remote systems/networks, etc.) as a text message (e.g., SMS message), email, remote notification, instant message, automated phone call, visual alert, audible alert, etc. The fire panel 12 may provide an alert to the emergency personnel 26 in response to detecting that a fire has occurred at the battery rack 16 (e.g., based on the temperature received from the temperature sensor 36 and/or based on the smoke detection signal received from the smoke detector 22) or in response to determining that a fire is likely to occur at the battery rack 16 in the near future (e.g., preemptively based on the exhaust gas sensor signal received from the air sampling detector 24 a).

Referring specifically to fig. 2, the fire suppression system 10 may include a plurality of battery racks 16. For example, the fire suppression system 10 may include n battery racks 16. In some embodiments, fire suppression system 10 includes a plurality of air sampling detectors 24. For example, the fire suppression system 10 may include an air sampling detector 24a for each battery rack 16. In some embodiments, fire suppression system 10 includes a single air sampling detector 24a configured to measure exhaust gas in each of battery racks 16. In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a is configured to continuously draw air samples from battery rack 16. For example, air sampling detector 24a may be connected or fluidly coupled with battery rack 16 by tubing system 38, which tubing system 38 includes tubing, conduits, hoses, tubular members, and the like. Tubing system 38 may include a suction pump 40 configured to draw air through tubing system 38 and provide an air sample to air sampling detector 24 a. In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a, fire panel 12, and/or exhaust control panel 34 operate suction pump 40 to draw air samples from battery rack 16 to air sampling detector 24 a.

The air sampling detector 24a may continuously draw air samples from each of the battery racks 16. For example, air sampling detector 24a may first draw an air sample from first battery rack 16 and detect the presence and/or concentration of exhaust gases in first battery rack 16. The air sampling detector 24a then provides the exhaust gas sensor signal to the fire panel 12 for further analysis, processing, etc. to determine whether a fire has occurred or is likely to occur at the first battery rack 16 in the near future. Air sampling detector 24a may then continue to draw air samples from second battery rack 16, third battery rack 16, and so on. In this manner, a single air sampling detector 24a may be used to monitor and detect the presence and/or concentration of exhaust gases in the battery rack 16. This contributes to a more efficient and cost effective fire suppression system 10. In some embodiments, the volume of the air sample drawn from the battery rack 16 is substantially uniform. For example, the air sampling detector 24a may draw a volume of air V from the battery rack 16 at a time _sample . In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a uses a known volume of air sample drawn from cell holder 16 to determine the concentration of exhaust gas in cell holder 16.

In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a draws air samples from multiple battery racks 16. For example, if ten cell racks 16 are used, air sampling detector 24a may draw air samples from the first five cell racks 16 and detect whether exhaust is present in the air samples. The air sampling detector 24a may also simultaneously draw air samples from the next five cell racks 16 and detect the presence of exhaust air in the next five cell racks 16. In response to detecting the presence of exhaust gas in the first five or the next five battery racks 16, the air sampling detector 24a may then continue to draw air samples from a subset of the first five and/or the next five battery racks 16. In this manner, the air sampling detector 24a may start with a battery rack 16 set that includes multiple battery racks 16, and gradually draw air samples from smaller battery rack 16 sets to determine which battery racks 16 exhaust gas is present in.

Advantageously, the fire suppression system 10 as shown in fig. 2 uses a single air sampling detector 24a that draws air samples from the battery rack 16 (e.g., by operating the suction pump 40). By continuously regulating the suction through the tubing fluidly coupling air sampling detector 24a with battery rack 16, a single air sampling detector 24a may be used, thereby reducing the costs associated with purchasing, manufacturing, and maintaining fire suppression system 10. In addition, the use of suction pump 40 eliminates the need for air sampling detector 24a to rely on the airflow within battery rack 16. Specifically, the suction pump 40 may draw an air sample from the battery rack 16 even if there is no airflow in the battery rack 16 or sufficient airflow within the battery rack 16. Air sampling detector 24a may be positioned remotely or at a distance from battery rack 16, thereby advantageously facilitating accessibility of air sampling detector 24a for maintenance, inspection, and installation.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the fire suppression system 10 may include an exhaust control panel 34. In some embodiments, exhaust control panel 34 is configured to receive an exhaust sensor signal from air sampling detector 24a and provide an exhaust detection signal to fire panel 12. The exhaust control panel 34 may be a controller that includes processing circuitry, a processor, and memory. In some embodiments, exhaust control panel 34 is configured to analyze the signals received from air sampling detector 24a and identify whether exhaust is present in cell holder 16 or determine the concentration of exhaust present in cell holder 16. The exhaust control panel 34 may provide an exhaust detection signal to the fire panel 12. In some embodiments, the exhaust control panel 34 is a local controller disposed at the battery rack 16. Exhaust control panel 34 may be configured to perform a low level analysis of the exhaust sensor signals to determine whether exhaust is present in battery rack 16, while fire panel 12 may be configured to perform a high level analysis (e.g., to determine whether a fire is likely to occur in the near future, activate fire suppression equipment 20, respond appropriately, etc.).

Still referring to fig. 3, the fire suppression system 10 may include a warning device 32. In some embodiments, the warning device 32 is or includes any one of, or any combination of, a visual warning device (e.g., a light emitting device, a light emitting diode, etc.), an audible warning device (e.g., a speaker, a sound generating device, etc.). In some embodiments, the fire panel 12 is configured to provide a warning signal to the warning device 32 in response to detecting a fire or in response to determining that a fire is likely to occur at any of the battery racks 16 in the near future (e.g., in response to detecting the presence of exhaust gas in any of the battery racks 16, in response to detecting that the concentration of exhaust gas in any of the battery racks 16 exceeds a corresponding threshold, etc.). In some embodiments, the fire panel 12 operates a warning device 32 to provide a visual and/or audible warning or indication to a user or technician that a fire has occurred or is likely to occur. The warning device 32 may be configured to generate an alarm noise, emit a colored light, etc. in response to receiving a warning signal from the fire panel 12 to warn a user that a fire has occurred or is likely to occur at the battery rack 16. In some embodiments, fire panel 12 is configured to operate warning device 32 in response to determining that a fire suppression apparatus 20 is stressed. In this way, the warning device 32 may be used to inform the user that the fire suppression apparatus 20 has been activated.

It should be understood that while fig. 1-3 show various embodiments of the fire suppression system 10, any of the devices, components, functionality, etc. of the fire suppression system 10 as shown in fig. 1-3 may be combined. For example, the smoke detector 22 of the embodiment of the fire suppression system 10 shown in fig. 1 may be integrated into or included in the embodiment of the fire suppression system 10 as shown in fig. 2 or 3 and described in more detail above.

Battery container system

Referring now to fig. 4 and 5, the battery rack system 50 includes a fire suppression system 66 that may be used with a shipping container, storage container, housing, battery compartment, room, space, etc., shown as storage container 68. In some embodiments, the battery containment system 50 and the fire suppression system 66 are similar to the fire suppression system 10 and include any of the features, functionalities, components, devices, configurations, etc. of the fire suppression system 10. In some embodiments, the battery container system 50 includes a fire suppression system 10. For example, the battery container system 50 may include various components of the fire suppression system 10 stored within a fire suppression unit, modular unit, removable fire suppression accessory, etc., shown as a modular fire suppression accessory 74, as described in more detail below.

The storage container 68 includes sidewalls, walls, panels, planar members, etc., shown as sidewalls 52. In some embodiments, the storage container 68 is a generally rectangular container having six sidewalls 52. In other embodiments, the storage container 68 is a room, storage space, closet, compartment, or the like having a sidewall 52. Sidewall 52 defines an interior volume, space, storage space, area, etc., shown as interior volume 65. The storage container 68 may be any structure or compartment that includes sidewalls and an interior volume for storing or transporting the battery rack 16. The battery stand 16 is disposed in an interior volume 65 within the side wall 52. In some embodiments, the battery racks 16 are disposed adjacent to each other. In some embodiments, the battery racks 16 are spaced a distance throughout the interior volume 65 of the storage container 68. The battery stand 16 may fill substantially the entire interior volume 65 and may be accessed through a door, opening, aperture, window, louver, etc., shown as door 56. In some embodiments, the door 56 is configured to be selectively transitioned between a closed position and an open position to facilitate access to the battery stand 16. In some embodiments, the door 56 is disposed along one side of the shipping container 68. In some embodiments, the doors 56 are disposed along two or more sides (e.g., the side walls 52) of the shipping container 68. In some embodiments, each battery rack 16 is associated with a corresponding door 56 to facilitate access to each battery rack 16. The doors 56 are independently selectively switchable between an open position and a closed position. The door 56 may be transitioned between the open and closed positions either manually (e.g., by a technician, operator, user, etc.) or automatically (e.g., by various linkages, primary propellers, electric motors, pistons, hydraulic cylinders, electric linear actuators, hydraulic motors, internal combustion engines, etc.).

The storage container 68, or more generally, the battery container system 50, may include a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system 60. In some embodiments, the HVAC system 60 is operated by the BMS 14. In some embodiments, HVAC system 60 is controlled by fire panel 12. In other embodiments, the HVAC system 60 is controlled by another controller (e.g., a building controller). The HVAC system 60 may be any heating, ventilation, or air conditioning system configured to transfer heat into the container 68, remove heat from the storage container 68, force an airflow through the storage container 68 to ventilate the storage container 68, circulate air through the storage container 68, purify air circulated through the storage container 68, and the like. For example, the HVAC system 60 may be a packaged air conditioning unit configured to provide ventilation and cooling to the battery rack 16. In some embodiments, the HVAC system 60 forces airflow through the storage container 68 to facilitate forced convection cooling of the battery rack 16. For example, the HVAC system 60 may include a fan configured to drive outdoor air through the storage container 68. The HVAC system 60 is operable through the fire panel 12 to open the external vents to facilitate or force airflow through the storage container 68. The HVAC system 60 may be operated by the fire panel 12 while the fire suppression device 20 is activated to reduce the pressure within the storage container 68. In some embodiments, air sample detectors 24a are positioned along the airflow path of HVAC system 60 to reduce the number of air sample detectors 24 required.

Still referring to fig. 4, according to some embodiments, the storage container 68 includes a vent 62. The exhaust 62 may include louvers and may be selectively transitioned between an open configuration and a closed configuration. In some embodiments, a plurality of exhaust ports 62 are disposed about the storage container 68 to facilitate airflow through the interior volume 64 of the storage container 68. In some embodiments, air flows into the interior volume 64 of the container 68 through the vent 62. In some embodiments, air flows from the interior volume 64 of the container 68 through the vent 62. The receptacles 62 may be disposed on opposite ends or sides of the receptacle 68 to facilitate airflow through the storage receptacle 68. In some embodiments, the exhaust port 62 is actuated to transition between the open and closed configurations by a forced airflow through the storage container 68.

In some embodiments, the battery container system 50 includes the piping system 38. The piping system 38 may extend through the storage container 68 and may include various tubular members, hoses, conduits, pipes, etc. fluidly coupled with the interior volume of each battery rack 16. In some embodiments, the battery container system 50 also includes a suction pump configured to independently draw an air sample from each battery rack 16. Tubing 38 may be fluidly coupled with air sampling detector 24a such that an air sample is provided to air sampling detector 24 a. Air sampling detector 24a may operate suction pump 40 to draw an air sample from each battery rack 16.

Referring specifically to fig. 4, the battery container system 50 may include a fire suppression device 20. In some embodiments, fire suppression equipment 20 is a component of fire suppression system 66. The fire suppression device 20 may be disposed within the interior volume 64 of the storage container 68. For example, fire suppression apparatus 20 may mount one of side walls 52 within storage container 68 or fixedly couple with one of side walls 52. In some embodiments, the fire suppression apparatus 20 is configured to deliver or provide a fire suppressant (e.g., an inert gas, a gaseous mixture that suppresses combustion, etc.) into the interior volume 64. In some embodiments, fire suppression apparatus 20 is activated to provide fire suppressant to interior volume 64 through fire panel 12. In some embodiments, a plurality of fire suppression devices 20 are disposed within the interior volume 64 of the storage container 68. Multiple fire suppression devices 20 may be activated simultaneously by fire panel 12, or may be activated by fire panel 12 individually/independently of one another to target a particular battery rack 16. In some embodiments, each battery rack 16 is associated with a corresponding fire suppression apparatus 20 (e.g., a fire suppression apparatus 20 disposed nearby), the fire suppression apparatus 20 being configured to provide a fire suppressant to the associated battery rack 16 to prevent or suppress combustion at or around the associated battery rack 16.

When fire suppression device 20 provides a fire suppressant to interior volume 64 of storage container 68, exhaust port 62 may be actively transitioned into an open configuration (e.g., by an electric motor, an electric linear actuator, a primary mover, an engine, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a solenoid, etc.) such that oxygen is exhausted from storage container 68. Once the fire suppressant has flooded substantially all of the interior volume 64 of the storage container 68 (or once the concentration of oxygen within the storage container 68 is at an acceptably low level), the vent 62 may be transitioned into a closed position/configuration to maintain the fire suppressant within the storage container 68 to facilitate suppressing combustion within the storage container 68.

Still referring to fig. 4, a fire suppression system 66 may be disposed at least partially within the storage container 68. In some embodiments, the fire suppression system 66 is the same as or similar to the fire suppression system 800 as described in more detail below. For example, the fire suppression system 66 may include a conduit 840, a nozzle 842, a fire suppressant tank 812, a cartridge 820, an actuator 830, a controller 856, etc. (described in more detail below with reference to fig. 8). In some embodiments, the fire suppression system 66 includes various nozzles configured to provide fire suppressant onto the battery rack 16 and/or throughout the interior volume 64. In some embodiments, fire suppression system 66 or various fire suppression components thereof are activated by fire panel 12. In some embodiments, fire suppression system 66 includes fire panel 12. In some embodiments, when the fire suppression system 66 is activated, the fire suppression system 66 distributes or provides fire suppressant onto the battery rack 16 and/or throughout the interior volume 64. In some embodiments, a fire suppression system 66 is used in addition to or in place of fire suppression devices 20. It should be understood that reference to "activating" or "operating" fire suppression devices 20 may also refer to "activating" or "operating" fire suppression systems 66, fire suppression devices 20, or both fire suppression devices 20 and fire suppression systems 66.

Referring particularly to fig. 5, the fire suppression system 66 may be provided as or configured as a modular fire suppression accessory 74. The modular fire suppression accessories 74 may be bolts or removably coupled systems that contain the various components of the fire suppression system 10. In some embodiments, modular fire suppression accessory 74 is sealingly and fixedly coupled with storage container 68. In some embodiments, the modular fire suppression accessory 74 is a container (e.g., a box-shaped container) having an open side or opening such that electrical wiring and/or piping components (e.g., pipes or tubular members of the piping system 38) may be connected with the various components and devices of the modular fire suppression accessory 74. In some embodiments, the modular fire suppression accessory 74 is attached or fixedly coupled with the sidewall 52 of the storage container 68 such that the open side faces inward and is directly fluidly coupled with the interior volume 64 of the storage container 68. Modular fire suppression accessory 74 may include a housing, sidewall, panel, etc. shown as housing 70. Housing 70 defines an interior volume 72 of a modular fire suppression accessory 74. The open sides or openings of the modular fire suppression accessory 74 may be configured to align with corresponding openings or windows of the storage container 68 such that the interior volume 72 of the modular fire suppression accessory 74 and the interior volume 64 of the storage container 68 form a unified interior volume.

The modular fire suppression accessory 74 may include an exhaust port 84 configured to exhaust the interior volume 72 with the environment outside of the modular fire suppression accessory 74. In some embodiments, the exhaust port 84 includes louvers, or may be switchable between an open state (e.g., an exhaust state) and a closed state (e.g., a sealed state). In some embodiments, the interior volume 64 of the storage container 68 and/or the interior volume 72 of the modular fire suppression accessory 74 is a sealed interior volume when the vent 62 and/or the vent 84 is transitioned to the closed state. In some embodiments, exhaust ports 84 of modular fire suppression accessories 74 are controllable. For example, the exhaust port 84 may be operated by an electric motor, an electric linear actuator, a pneumatic cylinder, a solenoid, a primary mover, or the like to transition between the open and closed states. In some embodiments, the primary thruster is operated by the fire panel 12.

Still referring to FIG. 5, modular fire suppression accessory 74 may include air sampling detector 24 a. Air sampling detector 24a may receive an air sample from each cell holder 16 through duct system 38 and detect the presence or concentration of exhaust gases in cell holder 16. In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24a is fixedly coupled with a modular fire suppression accessory 74 inside interior volume 72.

Still referring to fig. 5, according to some embodiments, modular fire suppression accessory 74 includes a backup battery or power source, shown as battery 80. In some embodiments, the fire suppression system 10 (or components of the fire suppression system 10 stored within the modular fire suppression accessory 74) is powered by wall power (e.g., by a permanent power source). In some embodiments, if the power provided to the fire suppression system 10 fails, the fire suppression system 10 draws power from the battery 80 and operates using the battery 80. In this manner, the fire suppression system 10 or components of the fire suppression system 10 stored within the modular fire suppression accessory 74 may still operate even in the event of a power outage.

Still referring to fig. 5, according to some embodiments, the modular fire suppression accessory 74 includes the fire suppression apparatus 20. Fire suppression equipment 20 may include containers, shown as agent containers 78, fire suppressant containers, pressure vessels, cartridges, small containers, tanks, and the like. The agent container 78 stores a fire suppressant therein. For example, the agent container 78 may store a gaseous fire suppressant. In some embodiments, agent container 78 is the same as or similar to cartridge 820 and/or fire suppressant tank 812 as described in more detail below with reference to fig. 8.

According to some embodiments, the fire suppression apparatus 20 includes a neck member 90, a pipe, hose, conduit, tubular member, etc., shown as the pipe 86, and a nozzle, dispersion device, suppression nozzle, ejector, etc., shown as the suppression nozzle 76. In some embodiments, the suppression nozzle 76 is fluidly coupled with the interior volume of the agent container 78 through a neck 90 and the conduit 86. The fire suppression apparatus 20 may include an actuator 92 configured to selectively fluidly couple the interior volume of the agent container 78 with the conduit 86 and the suppression nozzle 76. In some embodiments, the actuator 92 is the same as or similar to the activation mechanism 836 as described in more detail below with reference to fig. 8. Actuator 92 is operable by fire panel 12 to selectively fluidly couple or decouple the interior volume of agent container 78 from suppression nozzle 76. In some embodiments, the fire suppressant within the agent container 78 is pressurized such that when the actuator 92 is transitioned to the open position (fluidly coupling the interior volume of the agent container 78 with the suppression nozzle 76), the fire suppressant flows out of the interior volume of the agent container 78, through the neck 90 and the conduit 86, and is discharged through the suppression nozzle 76 into the interior volume 72 and the interior volume 64. The fire suppressant may flood the entire interior volume 72 and interior volume 64. When the fire suppressant floods the interior volume 72 and the interior volume 64, oxygen is evacuated through the vent 84 and/or the vent 62. Once the oxygen is properly evacuated (e.g., once the oxygen content in the interior volume 72 and/or the interior volume 64 is sufficiently low to achieve fire suppression), the fire panel 12 may transition the vent 84 and/or the vent 62 from the open position to the closed position to seal the interior volume 72 and the interior volume 64. Fire panel 12 may receive oxygen content data from the oxygen sensor and use the oxygen content data to determine when to transition exhaust ports 84 and/or 62 to the closed position. In some embodiments, fire panel 12 uses a time-based approach and maintains vents 84 and/or 62 in an open position for a predetermined duration before closing vents 84 and/or 62.

Still referring to FIG. 5, the modular fire suppression accessory 74 includes a connection, hose connection, connection portion, interface portion, opening, etc., shown as hose connection 88. In some embodiments, hose connection 88 includes an opening extending through housing 70. The hose connection 88 may also include threads (e.g., tubing threads) configured to threadably and sealingly couple with a hose, tubular member, or the like. For example, hose connection 88 may be configured to threadably couple with a fire department hose or emergency hose. In this manner, if a fire occurs within the interior volume 64 and/or the interior volume 72, water (or liquid, or gas) may be flushed through the fire department hose or emergency hose to fill the interior volume 64 and the interior volume 72, thereby extinguishing the fire.

It should be understood that the size of the modular fire suppression accessory 74 may be scaled to accommodate various sizes of storage containers 68. For example, a larger storage container 68 may require additional fire suppression equipment 20, additional air sampling detectors 24, larger modular fire suppression accessories 74, and the like. All such configurations and modifications are to be understood as being within the scope of this disclosure.

It should be further understood that modular fire suppression accessory 74 may be used with any container, enclosure, space, room, vehicle, area, etc. For example, the modular fire suppression accessory 74 may be configured to detect or predict a fire in any room, space, housing, etc., regardless of whether a battery or battery rack is present or stored within the housing. In this manner, modular fire suppression accessory 74 may be removably coupled to a sidewall or top of any housing, container, or the like, and may be used to detect and suppress a fire. For example, the modular fire suppression accessory 74 may be used in storage spaces, data centers, vehicles, etc., and may still provide fire detection/suppression without requiring the presence of a battery or battery rack.

Fire panel

Referring now to fig. 6, fire panel 12 is shown in greater detail, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, fire panel 12 is configured to receive various sensor signals and determine whether or not fire suppression devices 20 should be activated based on the received sensor signals. Any of the functionalities of fire panel 12 as described herein with reference to fig. 6 may be performed by exhaust control panel 34. For example, the functionality of fire panel 12 as described herein may be distributed across multiple devices (e.g., across fire panel 12 and exhaust control panel 34) or by a single controller.

Fire panel 12 may be a controller and is shown to include processing circuitry 602, which processing circuitry 602 includes a processor 604 and a memory 606. Processor 604 may be a general or special purpose processor, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), a set of processing components, or other suitable processing components. Processor 604 is configured to execute computer code or instructions stored in memory 606 or received from other computer-readable media (e.g., CDROM, network storage, remote server, etc.).

Memory 606 may include one or more devices (e.g., memory units, memory devices, storage devices, etc.) for storing data and/or computer code for completing and/or facilitating the various processes described in this disclosure. Memory 606 may include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), hard drive storage, temporary storage, non-volatile memory, flash memory, optical storage, or any other suitable memory for storing software objects and/or computer instructions. Memory 606 may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting various activities and information structures described in this disclosure. Memory 606 may be communicatively connected to processor 604 via processing circuit 602, and may include computer code for executing (e.g., by processor 604) one or more processes described herein. When the processor 604 executes instructions stored in the memory 606, the processor 604 typically configures the controller 106 (and more particularly the processing circuitry 602) to accomplish such activities.

In some embodiments, fire panel 12 includes a communication interface 608 (e.g., a USB port, wireless transceiver, etc.) configured to receive and transmit data. The communication interface 608 may include a wired or wireless communication interface (e.g., jack, antenna, transmitter, receiver, transceiver, wire terminals, etc.) for data communication with an external system or device. In various embodiments, the communication may be direct communication (e.g., local wired or wireless communication) or via a communication network (e.g., WAN, internet, cellular network, etc.). For example, the communication interface 608 may include a USB port or an ethernet card and port for sending and receiving data over an ethernet-based communication link or network. In another example, the communication interface 608 may include a Wi-Fi transceiver for communicating via a wireless communication network or a cellular or mobile telephone communication transceiver. In some embodiments, communication interface 608 facilitates wired or wireless communication between fire panel 12 and air sampling detector 24a (and/or air sampling detector 24b), smoke detector 22, temperature sensor 36, battery management system 18, fire suppression device 20, BMS14, emergency personnel 26, and warning device 32.

Still referring to fig. 6, memory 606 is shown to include an exhaust manager 612, a fire suppression manager 614, an alert manager 610, and a battery manager 616. In some embodiments, the exhaust gas manager 612 is configured to process or analyze sensor data or sensor signals received from the air sampling detector 24a to determine whether exhaust gas is present at any of the battery racks 16, or to determine a concentration of exhaust gas within the battery racks 16. In some embodiments, the fire suppression manager 614 is configured to use the exhaust gas concentration and/or the presence of exhaust gas detected in the battery racks 16 to determine whether the fire suppression devices 20 should be activated, determine whether the battery management system 18 should be shut down, determine whether an alert should be provided to the BMS14, emergency personnel 26, and/or the alert device 32. In some embodiments, fire suppression manager 614 is configured to use sensor data obtained by smoke detector 22 and/or temperature sensor 36 in addition to exhaust gas detection to determine whether or not a fire suppression device 20 should be activated. The alert manager 610 is configured to operate in cooperation with the fire suppression manager 614 to provide an appropriate alert or alarm. Battery manager 616 is configured to use any of the outputs of fire suppression manager 614 (e.g., shutdown command, fire detection, temperature rise, etc.) to provide battery control signals to battery management system 18.

Still referring to FIG. 6, exhaust gas manager 612 is shown receiving exhaust gas sensor signals from air sampling detector 24a and/or air sampling detector 24 b. In some embodiments, exhaust manager 612 is configured to receive exhaust sensor signals from air sampling detector 24a and/or air sampling detector 24b and determine whether exhaust is present within the corresponding battery rack 16. In some embodiments, the exhaust manager 612 provides an indication to the fire suppression manager 614 of whether exhaust is present/detected within the corresponding battery rack 16 and to which battery racks 16 the indication corresponds. For example, the binary decision variable d of the jth cell rack 16 _j Has a value of 1 indicating that exhaust gas is currently detected in the jth cell bay 16, or has a value of 0 indicating that exhaust gas is not currently detected in the jth cell bay 16. In this case, the exhaust manager 612 may provide the value of the decision variable d for each battery rack 16. For example, the first battery rack 16 may have an associated decision variable d ₁ The second battery rack 16 may have an associated decision variable d ₂ Etc., and the nth battery rack 16 may have an associated decision variable d _n 。

In some embodiments, the exhaust gas manager 612 is configured to identify the concentration of exhaust gas in the associated battery rack 16 using the exhaust gas sensor signal received from the air sampling detector 24 a. For example, the exhaust gas manager 612 may determine the concentration C of the jth cell rack 16 _j . In this manner, if n battery racks 16 are used, the exhaust gas manager 612 may use the received exhaust gas sensor signals to identify C ₁ 、C ₂ 、......、C _n A value of (b), wherein C ₁ For the detection of the concentration of exhaust gases in the first cell holder 16, C ₂ Is the detected concentration of the exhaust gas in the second cell holder 16, etc., and C _n Is the detected concentration of the exhaust gas in the nth cell holder 16. In some embodiments, the concentration has a value of one part per million (e.g., C) _j Exhaust gas ppm), volume V of the detected exhaust gas _gas Volume V of air sample _sample The ratio of (a) to (b) (e.g.,

) Detecting mass m of exhaust gas _gas Mass m of air sample _sample The ratio of (a) to (b) (e.g.,

) And so on. In some embodiments, the concentration indicates a ratio of an amount of off-gas in the sample to a total amount of air sample.

In some embodiments, air sampling detector 24b provides an exhaust gas sensor signal for detecting the concentration or presence of exhaust gas in the environment or surrounding area. The concentration or presence of exhaust gas may indicate a reference or baseline concentration of exhaust gas. The exhaust manager 612 may determine a concentration (e.g., concentration C) of exhaust from the battery rack 16 _j ) With the concentration of exhaust gas in the environment or surrounding area (e.g., ambient concentration C) _amb ) A comparison is made to determine the concentration of exhaust gas (e.g., C) at the battery rack 16 _j ) The difference (e.g., Δ C) from the concentration of exhaust gas in the environment or surrounding area _j ). In some embodiments, the difference Δ C may be used _j In place of concentration C _j (e.g., by exhaust manager 612, fire suppression manager 614, alert manager 610, battery manager 616, etc.).

In some embodiments, fire panel 12 is configured to monitor concentration C in real time _j Environmental concentration C _amb Or the difference Δ Cj, or any combination thereof. Fire panel 12 (e.g., exhaust manager 612) may be configured to detect concentration C _j Environmental concentration C _amb Or a difference Δ C of less than 1ppm _j A variation of any of the above.

In some embodiments, the exhaust gas manager 612 compares the concentration C of the n cell racks 16 ₁ 、C ₂ 、......、C _n Either of which is provided to the fire suppression manager 614. Waste ofGas manager 612 may be configured to generate control signals for air sampling detector 24a (or for suction pump 40) to draw an air sample to air sampling detector 24 a. In some embodiments, the exhaust gas manager 612 regulates the suction on the individual lines connecting the battery rack 16 to the air sampling detector 24 a. In this manner, the exhaust gas manager 612 may track which cell racks 16 the air sample corresponds to, and may correlate the concentration or presence of detected exhaust gas with the appropriate cell racks 16. For example, the exhaust gas manager 612 may operate the first suction pump 40 to draw an air sample from the first battery rack 16, receive an exhaust gas sensor signal from the air sampling detector 24a, and assign a concentration of detected exhaust gas in the air sample to the first battery rack 16 (e.g., C @) ₁ ). The exhaust manager 612 may then correlate the concentration C of the battery rack 16 ₁ 、C ₂ 、......、C _n And/or binary decision variables b ₁ 、b ₂ 、......、b _n To the fire suppression manager 614.

Still referring to fig. 6, a fire suppression manager 614 is shown receiving the exhaust gas concentration (or binary decision variable) from the exhaust gas manager 612. In some embodiments, fire suppression manager 614 is configured to analyze the exhaust gas concentration to identify whether a fire is likely to occur at any of battery racks 16 in the near future. Fire suppression manager 614 may receive the concentration from exhaust manager 612 and compare the concentration to a threshold concentration value C _threshold A comparison is made. In some embodiments, the threshold concentration value C _threshold A predetermined value that indicates whether there is a significant amount of exhaust in the battery rack 16. In some embodiments, C _threshold Equal to zero or substantially equal to zero such that the fire suppression manager 614 determines that a fire is likely to occur at the battery rack 16 in response to any amount of exhaust gas detected in the battery rack 16.

In response to the concentration C ₁ 、C ₂ 、......、C _n Exceeds a threshold concentration value C _threshold The fire suppression manager 614 may determine that a fire is likely to occur at the corresponding battery rack 16 in the near future. In response to determining that a fire is likely to occur at the corresponding battery rack 16 in the near future, the fire suppression manager614 may generate an activation signal (e.g., a fire suppression release signal) and provide the activation signal to the fire suppression equipment 20 to activate the fire suppression equipment 20 and release a fire suppressant to suppress or prevent a fire from occurring. If the concentration of exhaust gas in any of the cell racks 16 does not exceed the threshold concentration value C _threshold Then fire suppression manager 614 does not activate fire suppression devices 20 and continues to periodically check the concentration of exhaust gas as provided by exhaust gas manager 612.

In some embodiments, the fire suppression manager 614 is configured to receive smoke detection signals and temperature signals from the smoke detector 22 and the temperature sensor 36, respectively. The fire suppression manager 614 may use the smoke detection and the temperature at any of the battery racks 16 to determine whether a fire has occurred or is likely to occur. The fire suppression manager 614 may compare the temperature at each battery rack 16 to a corresponding threshold temperature to determine whether a fire has occurred or whether a fire is likely to occur in the near future. In some embodiments, fire suppression manager 614 activates fire suppression device 20 in response to the temperature at any of battery racks 16 exceeding a threshold temperature value or in response to smoke detection indicating smoke is present in any of battery racks 16.

In some embodiments, the fire suppression manager 614 receives sensed temperature values associated with each battery rack 16 from the temperature sensors 36. Fire suppression manager 614 may determine temperature

Rate of change over time. In some embodiments, if the temperature is

Exceeds the corresponding temperature rate-of-change threshold for a predetermined duration Δ t

(e.g., if the temperature at one of the battery racks 16 increases rapidly within a predetermined duration of time), the fire suppression manager 614 may determine that a fire is likely to occur at one of the battery racks 16And the fire suppression device 20 may be activated to prevent a fire from occurring or suppress a fire if it has occurred.

In this manner, fire suppression manager 614 may use exhaust gas concentration, smoke detection, and temperature to preemptively activate fire suppression devices 20 to prevent a fire from occurring at battery rack 16. In some embodiments, the fire suppression system 10 also includes an optical sensor configured to measure heat or light rejected by the fire. In this way, the fire suppression manager 614 may receive sensor data from the optical sensors and use the sensor data to determine whether a fire has occurred.

Fire suppression manager 614 may also provide a shutdown command to battery manager 616. In some embodiments, if an activation signal is provided to fire suppression device 20, or if fire suppression manager 614 determines that the temperature increases at a rate above a temperature change rate threshold, fire suppression manager 614 provides a shutdown command to battery manager 616. In this manner, battery manager 616 may generate battery control signals to shut down battery rack 16 concurrently with activating fire suppression device 20 (e.g., in response to detecting a fire, or in response to fire suppression manager 614 determining that a fire is likely to occur in the near future). Likewise, if the temperature at the battery rack 16 exceeds a maximum allowed temperature (e.g., a threshold temperature value), the fire suppression manager 614 may provide a shutdown command to the battery manager 616. In some embodiments, fire suppression manager 614 provides a shutdown command to battery manager 616 without providing an activation signal to fire suppression devices 20. For example, if the temperature at battery rack 16 begins to increase at a rapid rate (e.g., above a corresponding rate of change threshold) for at least one time interval, or if the temperature at battery rack 16 exceeds a maximum allowed temperature, fire suppression manager 614 may provide a shutdown command to battery manager 616 without providing an activation signal to fire suppression device 20. In this manner, battery manager 616 may shut down battery rack 16 without activating fire suppression device 20.

Battery manager 616 receives shutdown commands from fire suppression manager 614 and provides battery control signals to battery management system 18, battery rack 16, or switches. In some embodiments, the battery management system 18 shuts down the battery rack 16 in response to receiving a shutdown control signal such that power cannot be drawn from the battery cells of the battery rack 16. In some embodiments, all of the battery racks 16 are closed. In some embodiments, a particular battery rack 16 associated with a high temperature (e.g., a temperature that exceeds a maximum allowable temperature) or a rapidly increasing temperature (e.g., a temperature that increases at a rate greater than a maximum rate of change threshold) is turned off.

The fire suppression manager 614 may also provide an indication to the alert manager 610 regarding operations performed in response to detecting a fire or in response to determining that a fire is likely to occur in the near future. For example, if fire suppression manager 614 provides an activation signal to fire suppression equipment 20, fire suppression manager 614 may also notify warning manager 610 that fire suppression equipment 20 has been activated. In some embodiments, if fire suppression manager 614 activates fire suppression devices 20 to preemptively suppress a fire at the battery rack, fire suppression manager 614 also provides an indication to alert manager 610 that fire suppression devices 20 are preemptively activated. Likewise, if fire suppression manager 614 activates fire suppression devices 20 due to a fire at battery rack 16, fire suppression manager 614 may also notify warning manager 610 to activate fire suppression devices 20 due to the fire. Additionally, fire suppression manager 614 may provide notification to alert manager 610 of whether to provide shutdown commands to battery manager 616 or which battery racks 16 to shutdown.

The alert manager 610 receives notification of any of the operations of the fire suppression manager 614 and provides an appropriate alert. The alert manager 610 may provide alerts to the BMS14, emergency personnel 26 (e.g., SMS messages, emails, instant messages, notifications, etc.), and/or alert devices 32 (e.g., visual alerts, audible alerts, etc.). In some embodiments, the alert manager 610 provides different alerts or alerts to certain devices/systems based on notifications of operations received from the fire suppression manager 614. In some embodiments, the alert provided to the BMS14, emergency personnel 26, and/or warning devices 32 includes a notification received from the fire suppression manager 614 and/or a reason for performing various operations. For example, warning manager 610 may warn BMS14 that a fire is detected at first battery rack 16 and that battery rack 16 is closed and that fire suppression equipment 20 has been activated in response to the fire. Likewise, warning manager 610 may warn BMS14, emergency personnel, and/or warning device 32 that battery rack 16 is shut down due to high temperatures, but fire suppression equipment 20 is not activated.

The warning device 32 may also be or include a display screen configured to provide status of the battery management system 18, temperature detection at the battery rack 16, smoke detection in the battery rack 16, exhaust detection in the battery rack 16, rate of change of temperature at the battery rack 16, and the like. In some embodiments, the warning device 32 is also configured to display the current status of the fire suppression apparatus 20 (e.g., whether the fire suppression apparatus 20 has been activated, the time at which the fire suppression apparatus 20 was activated, the reason for activating the fire suppression apparatus 20, etc.).

Advantageously, fire panel 12 is configured to monitor the concentration of exhaust gases in battery rack 16 (e.g., disposed within storage container 68) and proactively activate fire suppression equipment 20 to reduce the likelihood of a fire occurring and prevent thermal runaway. Since battery fires can be particularly difficult to extinguish after combustion, preemptively detecting and responding to a fire by monitoring exhaust gas emitted by the battery cells of the battery rack 16 reduces the likelihood of a fire occurring, thereby reducing the likelihood of the battery rack 16 or surrounding objects (e.g., the storage container 68) being destroyed or damaged by the fire.

Battery fire suppression process

Referring now to fig. 7, a process 700 for monitoring battery racks and preemptively responding to various conditions at the battery racks to prevent combustion is shown, according to some embodiments. Process 700 includes steps 702-716 and may be performed by fire suppression system 10, battery container system 50. Advantageously, process 700 may be performed to monitor the exhaust gas emitted by a failed cell and thereby prevent thermal runaway and combustion of the cell.

According to some embodiments, process 700 includes drawing an air sample from a battery rack (step 702). In some embodiments, step 702 is performed by suction pump 40 and fire panel 12. In some embodiments, step 702 is performed by the exhaust gas manager 612 and/or the air sample detector 24 a. Step 702 may be performed by operating the suction pump 40 to draw an air sample from each of the battery racks 16 through the tubing 38 of the storage container 68. In other embodiments, step 702 is performed by receiving an air sample from within each of the battery racks 16 if there is a forced airflow through the battery racks 16. Step 702 may be performed by continuously adjusting the suction pressure through the various conduits that each fluidly couple air sampling detector 24a with a corresponding battery rack 16.

According to some embodiments, process 700 includes detecting a concentration Cj of exhaust gas in each cell holder based on the air sample (step 704). In some embodiments, step 704 is performed by air sampling detector 24 a. In some embodiments, step 704 includes identifying the concentration of one or more of the various gases vented by the battery cell at the time the battery cell begins to fail. Concentrations may be measured or detected in parts per million (ppm), percent concentrations, ratios between volumes of exhaust gas and air samples, and the like. In some embodiments, exhaust gas manager 612 is configured to receive sensor signals from air sampling detector 24a and use the sensor signals to identify the concentration of exhaust gas in the air sample.

According to some embodiments, process 700 includes comparing the concentration C of exhaust gas in each cell holder _j With a threshold concentration value C _threshold A comparison is made (step 706) and the concentration C of exhaust gases in each cell holder is determined _j Whether or not a threshold concentration value C is exceeded _threshold (step 708). In some embodiments,

steps

706 and 708 are performed by fire suppression manager 614 to determine whether a fire suppression device 20 should be activated. In some embodiments, the threshold concentration value C _threshold Is the maximum allowed threshold. Above threshold concentration value C _threshold May indicate that the battery cells of a particular battery rack 16 are exhausting and are in the process of failing. In some embodiments, the threshold concentration value C _threshold Has a value of zero. In some embodiments, the threshold concentration value C _threshold Is a value determined based on empirical testing. According to some embodiments, the method is responsive to a batteryThe concentration of exhaust gases in the rack 16 exceeds a threshold concentration value C _threshold Process 700 proceeds to step 710. In some embodiments, in response to the concentration of exhaust gas in the battery rack 16 being substantially equal to the threshold concentration value C _threshold Process 700 proceeds to step 710. In some embodiments, in response to the concentration of exhaust gas in the battery rack 16 being less than the threshold concentration value C _threshold The process 700 proceeds to step 716 (or returns to step 702).

According to some embodiments, the process 700 includes responding to a concentration or content of exhaust gas in the battery rack 16 being greater than (or greater than or equal to) a threshold concentration value C _threshold And the fire suppression system is activated (step 710). In some embodiments, step 710 includes activating fire suppression device 20 to provide fire suppressant to battery rack 16 (e.g., within storage container 64). In some embodiments, step 710 includes fluidly coupling the agent container 78 with the suppression nozzle 76 such that the fire suppressant may flow from the agent container 78 to the interior volume 64 of the storage container 68 through the suppression nozzle 76.

According to some embodiments, process 700 includes providing an alert to emergency personnel (step 712). In some embodiments, step 712 includes providing an alert to BMS 14. In some embodiments, the warning includes an indication of whether fire suppression device 20 has been activated and/or whether battery rack 16 has been closed. In some embodiments, step 712 is performed by the alert manager 610. In some embodiments, step 712 includes operating the warning device 32 to provide a visual and/or audible warning. In this manner, if exhaust gas is detected, the user may be alerted by operation of the alert device 32, provide an alert to the BMS14, provide text messages, instant messages, notifications, and the like to the emergency personnel 26, and the like.

According to some embodiments, process 700 includes shutting down the battery stand (step 714). In some embodiments, step 714 is performed by battery manager 616. In some embodiments, step 714 includes operating the battery stand 16 so that the battery unit does not provide power to the end user or to the end use. In some embodiments, any of steps 710-714 are performed simultaneously. In some embodiments, the alert provided in step 712 includes an indication of the status of the battery stand 16 (e.g., whether the battery stand 16 is closed/deactivated).

According to some embodiments, process 700 includes analyzing the temperature and smoke detection of each battery rack (step 716). In some embodiments, step 716 includes receiving smoke detection and/or temperature sensor feedback from the smoke detector 22 and/or temperature sensor 36. In some embodiments, step 716 is performed by the fire suppression manager 614 and includes comparing the smoke detection or temperature to a corresponding threshold. In some embodiments, step 716 is optional. If smoke detection and/or temperature indicates a fire (e.g., if smoke is detected, or if temperature exceeds a threshold), process 700 may proceed to step 710 and fire suppression equipment 20 is activated to suppress the fire. If smoke detection and/or temperature does not indicate a fire (e.g., if smoke is not detected and if the temperature does not exceed a threshold), then the process 700 returns to step 702.

Fire suppression device

Referring to fig. 8, a fire suppression system 810 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. In one embodiment, the fire suppression system 810 is a chemical fire suppression system. The fire suppression system 810 is configured to distribute or distribute a fire suppressant on and/or near a fire, thereby extinguishing the fire and preventing the fire from spreading. The fire suppression system 810 may be used alone or in combination with other types of fire suppression systems (e.g., building sprinkler systems, hand-held fire extinguishers, etc.). In some embodiments, multiple fire suppression systems 10 are used in combination with one another to cover a larger area (e.g., each in a different room of a building). In a preferred embodiment, the fire suppression system 810 is a gaseous fire suppression system using a gaseous fire suppressant (e.g., an inert or chemical gaseous fire suppressant).

The fire suppression system 810 may be used in a variety of different applications. Different applications may require different types of fire suppressant and different degrees of mobility. The fire suppression system 810 may be used with a variety of different fire suppressants (e.g., powders, liquids, foams or other fluid or flowable materials). The fire suppression system 810 may be used in a variety of stationary applications. By way of example, the fire suppression system 810 may be used in a kitchen (e.g., for an oil or grease fire, etc.), a library, a data center (e.g., for an electronics fire, etc.), a gas station (e.g., for a gasoline or propane fire, etc.), or in other stationary applications. Alternatively, fire suppression system 810 may be used in various mobile applications. By way of example, the fire suppression system 810 may be incorporated into a land vehicle (e.g., a racing vehicle, a forestry vehicle, a construction vehicle, an agricultural vehicle, a mining vehicle, a passenger vehicle, a trash vehicle, etc.), an aerial vehicle (e.g., a jet plane, an airplane, a helicopter, etc.), or a marine vehicle (e.g., a boat, a submarine, etc.).

Still referring to fig. 8, the fire suppression system 810 includes a fire suppressant tank 812 (e.g., vessel, container, tub, drum, tank, canister, pressure vessel, canister, or tank, etc.). The fire suppressant tank 812 defines an interior volume 814 that is filled (e.g., partially, completely, etc.) with fire suppressant. In some embodiments, the fire suppressant is generally not pressurized (e.g., near atmospheric pressure). The fire suppressant tank 812 includes an exchange section shown as a neck 816. The neck member 816 permits exhaust gas to flow into the interior volume 814 and permits a fire suppressant to flow out of the interior volume 814 so that the fire suppressant may be supplied to the fire.

The fire suppression system 810 further includes a cartridge 820 (e.g., a vessel, container, bucket, drum, tank, canister, pressure vessel, canister, or tank, etc.). The cartridge 820 defines an internal volume 822 configured to contain a volume of pressurized exhaust gas. The exhaust gas may be an inert gas. In some embodiments, the exhaust gas is air, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen. The cartridge 820 includes an outlet portion or outlet section shown as a neck member 824. The neck member 824 defines an outlet fluidly coupled to the internal volume 822. Thus, exhaust gases may exit the cartridge 820 through the neck member 824. Cartridge 820 may be rechargeable or disposable after use. In some embodiments where the cartridge 820 is rechargeable, additional exhaust gas may be supplied to the internal volume 822 through the neck member 824.

The fire suppression system 810 further includes a valve, piercing device, or activator assembly shown as an actuator 830. The actuator 830 includes an adapter, coupler, interfacing means, receiving means, engaging means, etc., shown as a receiver 832, the receiver 832 configured to receive the neck piece 824 of the cartridge 820. The neck member 824 is selectively coupled to the receiver 832 (e.g., by a threaded connection, etc.). Decoupling the cartridge 820 from the actuator 830 facilitates removal and replacement of the cartridge 820 when the cartridge 820 is depleted. The actuator 830 is fluidly coupled to the neck 816 of the fire suppressant tank 812 by a conduit, tubular member, pipe, fixed pipe, piping system, etc., shown as a hose 834.

The actuator 830 includes an activation mechanism 836 configured to selectively fluidly couple the interior volume 822 to the neck member 816. In some embodiments, the activation mechanism 836 includes one or more valves that selectively fluidly couple the interior volume 822 to the hose 834. The valve may be actuated mechanically, electrically, manually, or otherwise. In some such embodiments, the neck member 824 includes a valve that selectively prevents exhaust gas from flowing through the neck member 824. Such a valve may be manually operated (e.g., by a lever or knob on the exterior of the cartridge 820, etc.) or may be automatically opened after the neck member 824 is engaged with the actuator 830. This valve facilitates removal of the cartridge 820 prior to exhaustion of the exhaust gas. In other embodiments, cartridge 820 is sealed and activation mechanism 836 includes a pin, knife, nail, or other sharp object that actuator 830 forces into contact with cartridge 820. This pierces the outer surface of the cartridge 820, fluidly coupling the interior volume 822 with the actuator 830. In some embodiments, activation mechanism 836 pierces cartridge 820 only when actuator 830 is activated. In some such embodiments, the activation mechanism 836 omits any valves that control the flow of exhaust gas to the hose 834. In other embodiments, the activation mechanism 836 automatically pierces the cartridge 820 when the neck member 824 engages the actuator 830.

Once the actuator 830 is activated and the cartridge 820 is fluidly coupled to the hose 834, exhaust gas from the cartridge 820 freely flows through the neck member 824, the actuator 830, and the hose 834 and into the neck member 816. The exhaust gases force the fire suppressant from the fire suppressant tank 812 out through the neck 816 and into a conduit or hose shown as tubing 840. In one embodiment, the neck 816 directs exhaust gases from a hose 834 to a top portion of the internal volume 814. The neck member 816 defines an outlet (e.g., using a siphon tube, etc.) near the bottom of the fire suppressant tank 812. The pressure of the exhaust gas at the top of the interior volume 814 forces the fire suppressant out through the outlet and into the line 840. In other embodiments, the exhaust gas enters an air bag within the fire suppressant tank 812, and the air bag squeezes the fire suppressant to force the fire suppressant out through the neck member 816. In still other embodiments, piping 840 and hose 834 are coupled to the fire suppressant tank 812 at different locations. By way of example, a hose 834 may be coupled to the top of the fire suppressant tank 812, and piping 840 may be coupled to the bottom of the fire suppressant tank 812. In some embodiments, the fire suppressant tank 812 contains a burst disk that prevents the fire suppressant from flowing out through the neck 816 until the pressure within the interior volume 814 exceeds a threshold pressure. Once the pressure exceeds the threshold pressure, the burst disk ruptures, thereby permitting the flow of the fire suppressant. Alternatively, the fire suppressant tank 812 may include a valve, piercing device, or another type of opening device or activator assembly configured to fluidly couple the interior volume 814 to the conduit 840 in response to the pressure within the interior volume 814 exceeding a threshold pressure. Such an opening device may be configured to be mechanically activated (e.g., the force of the pressure causes the opening device to activate, etc.), or the opening device may include a separate pressure sensor in communication with the interior volume 814 that causes the opening device to activate.

The tube 840 is fluidly coupled to one or more outlets or injectors (e.g., nozzles, sprinkler heads, release devices, dispersion devices, etc.), shown as nozzles 842. The fire suppressant flows through line 840 and to nozzle 842. Nozzles 842 each define one or more apertures through which the fire suppressant is discharged, forming a spray of fire suppressant that covers the desired area. The spray from the nozzles 842 then suppresses or extinguishes the fire in the area. The orifice of nozzle 842 may be shaped to control the spray pattern of fire suppressant exiting nozzle 842. The nozzle 842 may be aimed such that the spray covers a particular point of interest (e.g., a particular piece of restaurant equipment, a particular component within the engine compartment of the vehicle, etc.). The nozzles 842 may be configured such that all nozzles 842 are activated simultaneously, or the nozzles 842 may be configured such that only nozzles 842 in the vicinity of the fire are activated.

Fire suppression system 810 further includes an automatic activation system 850 that controls activation of actuator 830. The automatic activation system 850 is configured to monitor one or more conditions and determine whether the conditions indicate a nearby fire. Upon detection of a nearby fire, the automatic activation system 850 activates the actuator 830, causing the fire suppressant to exit the nozzle 842 and extinguish the fire.

In some embodiments, the actuator 830 is controlled mechanically. As shown in fig. 8, the automatic activation system 850 includes a mechanical system that includes a tension member (e.g., a rope, cable, etc.) of a cable 852 that is shown to apply a pulling force to the actuator 830. Without this pulling force, the actuator 830 would activate. The cable 852 is coupled to a fusible link 854, which fusible link 854 is in turn coupled to a stationary object (e.g., a wall, floor, etc.). The fusible link 854 includes two plates held with a solder alloy having a predetermined melting point. The first plate is coupled to the cable 852 and the second plate is coupled to the stationary object. When the ambient temperature around the fusible link 854 exceeds the melting point of the solder alloy, the solder melts, allowing the two plates to separate. This releases the tension on the cable 852 and the actuator 830 activates. In other embodiments, the automatic activation system 850 is another type of mechanical system that applies a force to the actuator 830 to activate the actuator 830. The automatic activation system 850 may include linkages, motors, hydraulic or pneumatic components (e.g., pumps, compressors, valves, cylinders, hoses, etc.), or other types of mechanical components configured to activate the actuator 830. Some portions of the automatic activation system 850 (e.g., compressors, hoses, valves, and other pneumatic components, etc.) may be shared with other portions of the fire suppression system 810 (e.g., the manual activation system 860), or vice versa.

The actuator 830 may additionally or alternatively be configured to activate in response to receiving an electrical signal from the automatic activation system 850. Referring to fig. 8, the automatic activation system 850 includes a controller 856 that monitors signals from one or more fire detectors or sensors shown as temperature sensors 858 (e.g., thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors, etc.). The controller 856 can use signals from the temperature sensor 858 to determine whether the ambient temperature has exceeded a threshold temperature. After determining that the ambient temperature has exceeded the threshold temperature, the controller 856 provides an electrical signal to the actuator 830. The actuator 830 is then activated in response to receiving the electrical signal.

Fire suppression system 810 further includes a manual activation system 860 that controls the activation of actuator 830. The manual activation system 860 is configured to activate the actuator 830 in response to an input from an operator. In addition to the automatic activation system 850, a manual activation system 860 may be included. Both the automatic activation system 850 and the manual activation system 860 may independently activate the actuator 830. By way of example, the automatic activation system 850 may activate the actuator 830 regardless of any input from the manual activation system 860.

As shown in fig. 8, the automatic activation system 860 includes a mechanical system that includes a tensile member (e.g., a cord, cable, etc.) shown coupled to a cable 862 of the actuator 830. The cable 862 is coupled to a human interface device (e.g., a button, lever, switch, knob, pull ring, etc.) shown as a button 864. The button 864 is configured to exert a pulling force on the cable 862 when pressed, and this pulling force is transferred to the actuator 830. The actuator 830 activates after experiencing a pulling force. In other embodiments, the automatic activation system 860 is another type of mechanical system that applies a force to the actuator 830 to activate the actuator 830. The manual activation system 860 may include linkages, motors, hydraulic or pneumatic components (e.g., pumps, compressors, valves, cylinders, hoses, etc.), or other types of mechanical components configured to activate the actuator 830.

The actuator 830 may additionally or alternatively be configured to activate in response to receiving an electrical signal from a manual activation system 860. As shown in fig. 8, a button 864 is operably coupled to the controller 856. The controller 856 may be configured to monitor the status (e.g., engaged, disengaged, etc.) of a human interface device or user input device. After determining that the human interface device is engaged, the controller provides an electrical signal to activate the actuator 830. By way of example, the controller 856 may be configured to monitor the signal from the button 864 to determine whether the button 864 is pressed. Upon detecting that the button 864 has been pressed, the controller 856 sends an electrical signal to the actuator 830 to activate the actuator 830.

The automatic activation system 850 and manual activation system 860 are shown as mechanically (e.g., applying a pulling force through a cable, by applying pressurized liquid, by applying pressurized gas, etc.) and electrically (e.g., by providing an electrical signal) activating the actuator 830. However, it should be understood that the automatic activation system 850 and/or the manual activation system 860 may be configured to activate the actuator 830 only mechanically, only electrically, or by some combination of the two. By way of example, the automatic activation system 850 may omit the controller 856 and activate the actuator 830 based on input from the fusible link 854. By way of another example, the automatic activation system 850 can omit the fusible link 854 and use input from the controller 856 to activate the actuator 830.

With further reference to fig. 8, the fire suppression system 810 further includes the canister monitoring system 100. The canister monitoring system 100 may be configured to monitor the status of the fire suppression system 810 (e.g., monitor the level of fire suppressant in the fire suppressant tank 812, monitor the pressure of the fire suppressant tank 812 and/or the canister 820, monitor the placement of the installed components of the fire suppression system 810, etc.).

In some embodiments, fire suppression device 20 is a component of fire suppression system 810. The fire suppression device 20 may comprise any of the components or devices of the fire suppression system 810. For example, fire suppressant tank 812, canister 820, hose 834, actuator 830, tubing 840, and nozzle 842 may be fire suppression equipment 20.

Configuration of the exemplary embodiment

As used herein, the terms "substantially," "about," "substantially," and the like are intended to have a broad meaning consistent with the usual and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. Those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will appreciate that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without limiting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be construed to indicate that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or variations of the described and claimed subject matter are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.

It should be noted that the term "exemplary" and variations thereof as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to imply that such embodiments must be a specific or best example).

As used herein, the term "coupled" means that two members are joined to each other, either directly or indirectly. This engagement may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or movable (e.g., removable or releasable). This engagement may be achieved by: the two members may be directly coupled to each other, the two members may be coupled to each other using separate intervening members and any additional intervening members coupled to each other, or the two members may be coupled to each other using intervening members integrally formed as a single unitary body with one of the two members. Such components may be mechanically, electrically, and/or fluidically coupled.

As used herein, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) such that when used in connection with a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Unless specifically stated otherwise, connection language such as the phrase "X, Y and at least one of Z" is understood to convey that the communicating element may be X, Y, Z; x and Y; x and Z; y and Z; or X, Y and Z (i.e., any combination of X, Y and Z). Thus, unless otherwise specified, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the respective presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

References herein to the position of elements (e.g., "top," "bottom," "above," "below," etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of the various elements in the drawings. It should be noted that the orientation of the various elements may be different according to other exemplary embodiments, and such variations are intended to be covered by the present disclosure.

The hardware and data processing components described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein to implement the various processes, operations, illustrative logic, logic blocks, modules, and circuits may be implemented or performed with: a general purpose single-or multi-chip processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some embodiments, certain processes and methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function. Memory (e.g., memory units, storage devices, etc.) may include one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage, etc.) for storing data and/or computer code for completing or facilitating the various processes, layers, and modules described in this disclosure. The memory may be or include volatile memory or non-volatile memory, and may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described in this disclosure. According to an exemplary embodiment, the memory is communicatively connected to the processor via the processing circuitry and includes computer code for performing (e.g., by the processing circuitry and/or the processor) one or more processes described herein.

The present disclosure encompasses methods, systems, and program products on any machine-readable media for implementing various operations. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using an existing computer processor, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media. Machine-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.

Although the drawings and description may illustrate a particular order of method steps, the order of such steps may be different than that depicted and described unless specified differently above. Further, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously, unless specified differently above. Such variations may depend on, for example, the hardware and software system selected and designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the present disclosure. Likewise, software implementations of the described methods can be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps and decision steps.

It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the fire suppression system as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.). For example, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A modular fire suppression unit, comprising:

a housing;

an exhaust gas detector disposed within the housing and configured to obtain air samples and detect the presence of exhaust gas in each air sample;

a fire suppression device disposed within the enclosure and configured to provide a fire suppressant to a space; and

a controller disposed within the housing and configured to:

receiving a signal from the exhaust gas detector indicating whether exhaust gas is detected in each of the air samples; and

activating the fire suppression equipment to provide the fire suppressant to the space in response to detecting exhaust gas in one or more of the air samples;

wherein the modular fire suppression unit is configured to be coupled to a sidewall of a housing.

2. The modular fire suppression unit of claim 1, wherein the fire suppression device, the controller, and the exhaust gas detector are disposed within the housing.

3. The modular fire suppression unit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the exhaust gas detectors, wherein each of the plurality of the exhaust gas detectors is configured to detect the presence of exhaust gas in a corresponding one of one or more battery racks in the housing.

4. The modular fire suppression unit of claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas detector is configured to continuously draw an air sample from each of a plurality of battery racks disposed within the housing;

wherein the exhaust gas detector is configured to be fluidly coupled with the plurality of cell racks by a piping system, wherein the piping system comprises one or more tubular members that each fluidly couples the exhaust gas detector with a corresponding one of the plurality of cell racks;

wherein the controller is configured to operate one or more suction pumps to draw the air sample from each of the plurality of battery racks through the piping system to draw a first air sample from a first one of the plurality of battery racks at a first time and a second air sample from a second one of the plurality of battery racks at a second time.

5. The modular fire suppression unit of claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas detector is configured to detect a presence or concentration of any of lithium ion battery exhaust gas, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, ash, soot, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur oxides, ammonia, chlorine, propane, ozone, ethanol, hydrocarbons, hydrogen cyanide, combustible gases, flammable gases, toxic gases, corrosive gases, oxidizing gases, or electrolyte vapors in the air sample.

6. The modular fire suppression unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

receiving a signal from the exhaust gas detector indicative of a concentration of exhaust gas in the air sample;

comparing the concentration of exhaust gas to a threshold value; and

activating the fire suppression device in response to the concentration of exhaust gas in the air sample exceeding the threshold.

7. A fire suppression system, comprising:

a housing comprising a sidewall and an interior volume defined within the sidewall;

one or more battery racks disposed within the housing; and

a modular fire suppression assembly, comprising:

an exhaust gas detector configured to obtain an air sample from each of the one or more cell holders and detect the presence of exhaust gas in each of the one or more cell holders;

a fire suppression device configured to provide a fire suppressant to the interior volume of the housing; and

a controller configured to:

receiving a signal from the exhaust gas detector indicating whether exhaust gas is detected in each of the one or more battery racks; and

activating the fire suppression device to provide the fire suppressant to the interior volume of the housing.

8. A fire suppression system as recited in claim 7, wherein the housing is either a transport container or a storage container and includes an exhaust port configured to selectively fluidly couple the interior volume of the housing with an external environment.

9. A fire suppression system as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of the exhaust gas detectors, wherein each of the plurality of the exhaust gas detectors is configured to detect the presence of exhaust gas in a corresponding one of the one or more cell holders, and the exhaust gas detector is configured to continuously draw an air sample from each of the cell holders; and

a duct system, wherein the duct system comprises one or more tubular members that each fluidly couple the exhaust gas detector with a corresponding one of the one or more cell holders, and the controller is configured to operate one or more suction pumps to draw a first air sample from a first one of the one or more cell holders at a first time and a second air sample from a second one of the one or more cell holders at a second time.

10. The fire suppression system of claim 7, wherein the exhaust gas detector is configured to detect a presence or concentration of any of lithium ion battery exhaust gas, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, ash, smoke, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur oxides, ammonia, chlorine, propane, ozone, ethanol, hydrocarbons, hydrogen cyanide, combustible gases, toxic gases, corrosive gases, oxidizing gases, or electrolyte vapors in the air sample.

11. The fire suppression system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

receiving a signal from the exhaust gas detector indicative of a concentration of exhaust gas in one or more of the battery racks;

comparing the concentration of exhaust gas to a threshold value; and

activating the fire suppression device in response to the concentration of exhaust gas in the battery rack exceeding the threshold.

12. The fire suppression system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to close the one or more battery racks in response to detecting exhaust gas in the one or more battery racks.

13. The fire suppression system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to alert emergency personnel in response to detecting exhaust gas in one or more of the battery racks.

14. The fire suppression system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to operate a visual warning device or an audible warning device in response to detecting exhaust gas in one or more of the battery racks.

15. The fire suppression system of claim 7, further comprising an HVAC system, wherein the exhaust gas detectors are disposed in an airflow of the HVAC system to reduce a number of exhaust gas detectors.

16. The fire suppression system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system to open an external vent to circulate air into the housing to prevent accumulation of exhaust air from the one or more battery racks.

17. The fire suppression system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system to reduce a pressure within the housing upon activation of the fire suppression device.

18. A fire suppression system, comprising:

one or more battery racks disposed within the housing;

a modular fire suppression assembly comprising a sidewall and an interior volume, wherein the modular fire suppression assembly is coupled with the sidewall of the housing, wherein the modular fire suppression assembly comprises:

a fire suppression apparatus configured to provide a fire suppressant to the interior volume of the housing and the interior volume of the modular fire suppression assembly; and

a controller configured to:

19. The fire suppression system of claim 18, wherein the exhaust gas detector is configured to detect the presence of exhaust gas in any of the one or more battery racks within five seconds of the presence of the exhaust gas.

20. The fire suppression system of claim 18, further comprising an ambient exhaust gas detector configured to monitor a presence or concentration of exhaust gas outside the one or more cell racks, wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal from the ambient exhaust gas detector and determine a difference between an ambient concentration of exhaust gas outside the one or more cell racks and a concentration of exhaust gas within the one or more cell racks.